By Donald C. Sockett, DVM, MS, PHD, DACVIM (large animal); Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, UW-Madison It is important for livestock barns, calf pens, and calf feeding equipment to be properly cleaned before the disinfectant is applied. If surfaces are not properly cleaned, the disinfection step is much less effective at killing disease-causing microorganisms. Many disinfectants […]

Deciding when and how a dairy cow departs the farm is different on every operation. Making the decision to remove a cow from the herd is not always an easy one, but determining when the cow leaves and how is equally important. Changing the vocabulary from cull cow to market cow is a way to focus on what kind of animals are leaving the dairy.

Properly applying obstetrical (OB) chains to a calf’s feet and legs is an important technique to master. Watch the video below to learn how to properly apply chains so that you are prepared when the time comes to use this technique. Always consult with your veterinarian if you have any questions. Videos are available in both English and Spanish and can be accessed directly on YouTube as well.

Picking animals for your farm is one of the most important decisions you can make to improve long-term profitability. Whether it is choosing replacements, or deciding who will become parents, without proper consideration the decisions could end up giving you the genetics you did not want.

Whether it’s fire, flood, wind, or injury- a disaster on your farm can cause devastating loss and requires pre-planning to minimize the disruption.

Each summer, dairy farm producers and their employees work through days of extreme heat and humidity – often starting in May or June and continuing into September. While we certainly need to protect our dairy cattle during these hot days, it is also an important time to be conscious of how to protect ourselves and our dairy farm workers during summer heat.

Jim Versweyveld talks about the importance of dairy producers being conscious to protect themselves and their dairy farm workers during summer heat. This is a companion video to How to Avoid the Risks of Heat Stress.

Below is a visual representation of what to enter in the report screen to generate charts similar to what is shown in the companion factsheet: “Using Bovisync Reports to Assess Potential Impact of Heat Stress on a Dairy”. Milk Production Butterfat Percent Reproduction Milk Quality Clinical Mastitis and Transition Cow Health Download Article

How Can You Find the Tell-Tale Signs of Heat Stress in Your Records? Here are a few of the key areas to watch for: Reduced milk production. Butterfat depression. Declines in reproductive performance. Increases in clinical and sub-clinical mastitis. Increased morbidity in transition cows. Following are examples of the resulting data you can use to […]

Dr. Maria Jose Fuenzalida and Dr. Victor Cabrera explain the main takeaways from their Using Bovisynch to Assess the Potential Impact of Heat Stress on a Dairy factsheet. You may also find the supplemental coding factsheet to help you generate a similar report to be of assistance.

Want to learn about the latest research on calf housing? Two heads are better than one: A starter guide to pairing dairy calves This series of articles is a seven-part starter guide for pairing or group-housing pre-weaned dairy calves. Throughout this guide, we cover best practices to promote good health and welfare in calves raised […]

Hot summer weather can be hard on feed ingredients and total mixed rations (TMRs). It is vital that feed quality and aerobic stability be maintained during this challenging season. Doing so will minimize nutrient losses while optimizing cow intakes which are often compromised due to heat stress challenges.